Decisions We Make
by Karianasan
Summary: Alternate Universe: What would have happened if things turned out different? What will Velma decide, and will she be able to live with it? Note: There will be three different endings. Rated T just in case.
1. Decisions We Make

It was a lie.

Sometimes lying isn't such a bad thing; like when someone is trying to protect another from the truth. Other times a lie is useful to deceive someone, for the sake of something better, like a surprise birthday party. When the lie would be about not knowing, but in fact have been planing for weeks in advance for the party.

But she wasn't sure that even her best intentions were worth the guilt that she was feeling.

It was mainly at the fact that the rest of the gang didn't even bat an eye that she told them she had to leave all of a sudden. What made it worse was the well wishes and warm feelings they gave her when she left, leaving the bitter taste of the lie hung on her tongue.

The window reflected herself back at her as she watched the ground fall beyond, as the plane she was on took to the sky. Her face was gloomy to echo the feeling she had. Clutching the shoe box to herself, she tried to chide herself. It had been her decision, she was going to have to live with it. Lie and all, no matter what happened in result. The smell of burnt lifted from the crack between the shoe box and the thick cord she had bound around it. She had told them she was going to a convention for her new invention, she was to meet someone there who was interested in her work. It was true that she was going to meet someone, and it was about what she carried... But the lie was about what was inside.

She felt even more guilty as she looked about and forgot that Daphne had given her permission to use her card and got her the best seat on the flight. No friend of hers was traveling economy. While the gesture was nice, she found herself almost uneasy as she enjoyed the silence of first class. And everyone was far too distracted with their own things to even give her a glance. Even the ladies serving the plane only occationally looked in her direction, mainly to ask if she needed another drink. She was alone for the most part.

Her fingers twitched as she regarded the shoe box that she clutched at so dearly. She couldn't even hide it in her luggage, worried about getting to far away from it. That it might disappear when she wasn't looking. She had checked it countless times, peering into the cracks that her prying fingers had made, into the cardboard. But since she was basically alone now, and earth but many a mile under her, she felt safe enough to untie the box. With great care, her shaking fingers peeled back the threads as she wound it around her hand to store it for now. Taking a deep breath to settle her shaky nerves, she took off the top of the box.

"Can I help you?"

"WAH!" Slamming down the top of the box, Velma's eyes grew wide at the spooked flight attendant. Like an animal caught off guard, she practically crawled into the corner of the plush seat for a second before realizing it wasn't something to freak out about. Catching her breath, she shook her head at the poor worried lady that stood before her.

"I'm fine. Sorry. I'm ok." Velma tried to reassure her. Waving her hands and calming herself down so that the confused woman would leave her alone. Eventually, with enough reassurance, the worker left puzzled but feeling achieved she did her job. No doubt suspicious, but as long as she went away, it was fine. Not wanting to go through that again, she bound up the box in her lap. There would be plenty of time to look at it, when she reached her destination.

Curling around the box, she wiggled herself deeper into the plush seat she had. Might as well get some sleep before she reached her destination. She just hoped she was doing the right thing.

Wrapping her arms around the box, her head dipped against the side of the chair, as a pillow. A small sigh let loose from her lips as she started to drift off into sleep.

"Ben..." 


	2. On Her Way

_Fog. It felt like a world coated in fog. She had been here before, countless nights haunted in this misty location. Echoing of what once was, ringing out in the darkness. Voices from the past haunting her dreams. It was bittersweet. Like a two edged sword cutting into her heart._

_Like an apparition, he would appear to her every night. First with words of praise, looking upon her with his dark eyes. The same eyes she fell for. He would take her gently, whispering his belief in her and her work. How smart she was. How kind. How his words stung, as they would change and mock her native heart and her ease to manipulate._

_"Velma, how do you like the new and improved Ben Ravencroft."_

_She could not do anything then, as each night she fell to her knees in hopelessness. But with every dark time, there was a silver lining. While the past that haunted her was cloudy, like a smoky mirror, another softer form of Ben would appear._

_"Nothing I could say would erase the past." He would say. "But my time here is short before she comes again. I'm not the man I once was. Though I have done much in the past, I am still human. And even you know I do not deserve the prison I have been granted. I'll be waiting for you. There is no one else who I can turn too. Save me, for only you can...."_

_With true fright, his sentence would be cut off. The genuine fear that showed in his eyes told of his time trapped in that other world. Most likely to be tortured for eternity by his arcane witch relative. Fading into the fog itself, she called out._

_"Ben!"_

The World of Fog snapped away from her like strong breeze, snatching her up to the Land of the Waking. She had woken up just as the plane touched down. Clutching the box to herself, she looked around and found herself alone. She could still feel him; his touch upon her shoulder and his breath in her ear. She tried to shake him off of her mind, but it was the reason why she was traveling so far. Try as she might, she could not... Would not forget about him. All her efforts to forget him, just brought her thoughts about him closer. His posture, the way his hair swirled around him in the wind, his smile. Like a brand upon her heart, she hated him and yet...

"...Why couldn't I have fallen for a museum curator. It would have been easier on my heart."

Grumbling, Velma collected herself and her property from the plane. Ignoring the people around her as they got off, she fumbled around with the box and made sure it was tied tight enough. Taking up pace among all the others leaving, she wished she was there for something as simple as business like the person before her. Chatting angrily on the phone to someone since he was late, she wished it was something as innocent as being late. Instead she was possibly going to set free a man who wished to conquer the world. Sure, her logical mind was going nuts with the idea. Trying to save a man who used her, abused her, and wished for power to govern all humanity. But there had been a point where he had just been Ben. A writer who loved mysteries. Surely something had to have been the reason why he changed?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the task of getting off the plane. The airport was smaller then she was used to in the past, but it was big enough to mildly get lost in. Thankfully, it took not to much time for her to get her luggage and find a car. She had left her familiar surroundings of Ohio and Coolsville for somewhere in the Midwest. It was here that all of her research had found the person she had to talk to.

The car she had rented was a cute little pick-up truck. She wasn't sure the model, but it was a nice red color that suited her. It might have been nicer orange, but red would do as well. A new rental would have stuck out too much, so she had gone and found one that was a older model. It just felt more comfortable.

Pulling the truck to the nearby highway, she was on her way following the directions she had gotten. Her destination was a magical shop run by a lady who she had contacted. But the path was long and it would take the short detective a while before she could reach where she was going.

As the traffic picked up a steady pace, her mind zoned out about her earlier thoughts. Had there been a time when Ben seemed to have changed? She had no real clue since by the time she had met him, he was already twisted for power. So she had taken up the time to find out. Internet, records of conventions, anything she could get her hands on, she dove into. Even re-reading his old books. Though she had to hide the fact she was reading them from the others, she hadn't had the heart to get rid of them. She was glad though, since they were actually what gave her first clue. Ever the detective, she had followed the trail of breadcrumbs that eventually lead to one book in particular. She had found it odd when she first read it, and now it seemed to stick out even worse. A story of a boy who found out his relative had been a mage. The story was darker then any of his previous stories and the ending was different. Looking back, the stories that all came after had that same darkness. While it made for great scary stories, it felt like everything changed after that point. With the help of her investigating, she had found a statement that he had said at some writers convention he had visited that year after that one book had been put out. _'Everyone has something that haunts them. It's human nature. Sometimes it's best to look back at that shadow and draw it out into the light. Only then can you realize what was chasing you and gain power against it.'_

For Ben, it had been his Ancestors tragic past, at least that was what he had told her. A Wiccan, mistaken for a witch and killed. She turned out to be a real witch who wanted to destroy the world for imprisoning her.

There was no love lost upon the witch, and Velma would be happy to leave her in that banishment for all eternity, but try as she might, Ben was not worth something as bad at that. Surely if he had been granted the power he wanted for a long time, he might have done something more terrible then animating pumpkins and making an absurdly large turkey. But he didn't. Velma and the gang, with the help of the Hex girls had stopped him before he had gotten to do anything stupid. And wasn't that reasons for Prisons, to help educate and teach the wrong doings and help steer people in the right direction? Sure, some people were beyond hope, but she didn't believe Ben had been that far gone to not be able to be shown the light. He had been in there long enough, so maybe it was time to free him.

But of Power? What was it really in the end? Wasn't it something everyone sought. She herself could not be deemed less guilty then anyone else. Though her desire for power was in the form of Knowledge. Knowledge was power after all. The more you knew, the better advantage you had over someone else who knew less. It was the reason she and the gang had such success in the past. They each knew different skills and had abilities that over came the bad guys. While it might have seemed silly to others, even Shaggys quick cowardly acts and Daphne's love for make-up had come in handy on numerous occasions. Fear was another power, and it had the ability to drive anyone away or towards something. Fear was something she lived with, and it was more of a tool then a hindrance. But for others, fear was something else to deal with. Some ran, some even got addicted to it. Why else would people scare themselves with horror movies and scary stories? Did that fear drive Ben in some way? What was power to him?

Sighing, she leaned back against the drivers seat. Her mind felt like it had run a marathon at all of her heavy thoughts. She wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing, but she was following her heart. Something the rest of the gang on occasion told her to try, especially Daphne. She just hoped that this wouldn't bite her in the rear in the end. She wished she could close her eyes and just zone out, but it was not something she could do while driving. Instead she choose to dial into the song that had just started.

_Would you mind if I hurt you?  
Understand that I need to  
Wish that I had other choices  
Then you harm the one I love_

What have you done now?

I know I'd better stop trying  
You know that there's no denying  
I won't show mercy on you now

I know I should stop believing  
I know that there's no retrieving  
It's over now  
What have you done?

What have you done now?

I, I've been waiting for someone like you  
But now you are slipping away... Oh  
What have you done now?  
Why? Why does Fate make us suffer?  
There's a curse between us  
Between me and you

Wanting to curse, Velma changed the song in the middle of it. Seeing a rest stop, she pulled herself over and got off the freeway. Winding down the road, she finally came to a parking section where she pulled the truck into a spot. Swiftly, she shut off the truck and her head fell upon the wheel. Like a flickering movie, her mind choose the words of the song to bring back the memories of that night. He had been so nice to her. He listened to her... But it was all for his own gain. His cruel words formed hot tears upon her cheeks. She didn't care that her glasses were getting stained. She wanted to hate him. Pounding upon the wheel she came close to cursing ever running into him. But there were things that didn't feel fake. His touch was genuine. There was a respect, even though he was evil, about her abilities. For he needed her, since he had not been able to figure out where the book had been hidden. There was no one else but her. She looked over to the box that held the offending book.

_'I'll be waiting for you. There is no one else who I can turn too. Save me, for only you can....'_

Echoed his words. Again he was turning to her and only her. He could have contacted anyone else, but no one else would do. He then, and now was trusting everything to her. He didn't even need the gang in the past, they only were there because he needed to get to her.

Was he using her even now? Or did he really need her? Her mind wasn't sure. Gripping the wheel, she righted herself and set her jaw. She wasn't the native girl he once took advantage of. She knew better and there was one thing she was sure about. She would stand before him and look him in the eyes, only then would she see if it was worth saving him. She'll look upon him with her own determined eyes, into his and use her own 'power' to see if it's worth the cost. She was stubborn and couldn't back down now. She was going to see this through.

Taking her glasses off, she cleaned them till they held no evidence of her crying. With determination, she flipped the truck back on and shifted into gear. Pulling out of the rest stop, she got herself back on the road. Back on track and off to her own path.


	3. Final Book

Part of Velma was happy for the long drive that she had before reaching her destination. Since she was alone in the car, it allowed her to cry a bit more. Followed by, yelling at the top of her lungs, cursing that she had ever met the guy. And had enough time to regain her business like composure before she got to where she was going.

Breathing in deeply, she steeled her emotions to make sure that they would not run away with her at the wrong time. She put on her signal and made the turn off from the highway, wrapping around to enter the main road of the town.

While suburbia was off in the distance behind her, she was aiming towards the town square. Cute, quaint stores lined up next to each other as she slowed down entering the town zone. Thankfully for the slow speed limit, it gave her plenty enough time to glance about the various buildings. Accented in brink stone work, each store had a older feel to it, compared to what she was used to back home. Though Coolsville wasn't a big place, it kept the shops in newer condition to the stores around the town she was in. The town had more of a nostalgic look to it, keeping up with the old fashion appearance. And nestled into the back end of those stores was the shop she was looking for.

Tucked into the back corner of the town square, a person could almost miss the small hanging sign. "The Magic Within" was written in fading ink on a battered, old wooden plank that was hung by the metal framing around it. It creaked with the slight breeze and complimented the mood that the shop was theming. The front of the shop looked like one would expect a magic shop to be. Corners of the main window were covered in scraps of tattered old paper that spoke of love potions, or secrets against age spots and arthritic joints. 'Free Tarot readings were also included with a purchase of twenty dollars or more' read another. And sitting in the middle of the display was the classic crystal ball. Oh course with a convenient light that swirled light behind the balls milky insides to make it look more mystical.

Velma had to keep her mind open, she was not a big lover of the word magic since Logic seemed more, well, logical. Facts and Science were what she knew best, but after... "Him"... She could not ignore the whispers of magic. Balls of fire and flying about the air was easy enough to prove to be just tricks, as she had done that very day. But when even the land around turned against them and roots broke from the ground to chase them, she had to question it's existence. Let alone the giant turkey and pumpkins getting legs. Zombies and werecats were another story all together, but that had nothing to do with this.

At least she hoped.

With taking a final look back at the ride she came in on, it didn't miss her attention that sitting in front of the store was a similar red pickup. She shook her head, the day had been weird enough with the dream that now she was seeing double. And somewhere in her mind she figured she wasn't done yet. Pushing reality aside, she grit her teeth and grabbed the front door to push it open. Once wide enough, she slid herself inside.

The classic jungle of a bell announced her arrival. A simple twinkling among the bubbling and sounds of the shop. Nothing overwhelmingly loud, but there was enough little sounds that combined it seemed alot louder.... And was that a frog she heard?

Looking about, the shop was crowded. Rows upon rows of shelving lined most of the store. While the front entrance was open a bit, flowing to the most spacious part oft he shop being the front desk, the rest of the store was jam packed with books, random liquid filled bottles and probably some stuff even her curiosity would do better not knowing about. Incense hung in the air, though softly drifting through the store from an unknown source. Leaving the safety of the door, she pushed herself further in the shop. Her fingers fluttered at all the books and tomes that piled up randomly through out the shop. She had always loved books, and these looked particularly old. Spell books of not, they caught her interest, but this wasn't what she was here for.

"Meow."

Came a small noise from a white cat that came into view around a corner of a shelf. Velma jumped at the sudden sound among the mostly quiet shop. She hadn't expected a feline to appear. Looking at the small cat, it seemed to be looking back at her. Almost as if she was judging Velma for something. But that seemed a bit silly, coming from a woman who lived with a talking dog... But still, Velma regarded the cat with the same curiosity before it seemed that another cat joined them. While the white one watched her, the other cat seemed to not terribly care one way of the other. He made his presence known as he jumped down from a higher height and landed with a light thud, but enough to gather Velma's attention. It was probably a male cat, purely on the attitude and air he held about him. Funny thing was, the other cat almost looked offended as he strolled into the area and went over to Velma. Like a suave man, he sauntered over to her and wove a loving circle around one of Velma's legs. She could feel the purring through her knee socks as the cat rubbed himself over her. With a small snort, she white cat turned her nose up at Velma as the other cat seemed to be wanting all the attention. Kneeling, Velma scratched the second cat as he continued to rub and purr. The White cat eyed them as Velma pet the other cat, almost like she wanted to join them but was fighting against the aloofness that was a cat.

"Come on now. I can pet you too." Velma told the white cat. Looking from Velma's eyes to her waving hand that offered pettings, the white cat fought a short internal battle before giving in and trotting over to Velma to get pet. It was kinda nice for Velma to be petting some cats. There was something therapeutic running your hand across soft fur and the love that the cat gave back. Well, as long as it felt like being lovey, for Cats were fickle creatures. Nothing like a dog.

"Well well. This is an interesting sight." Came a voice from behind the counter. Leaning on top of the counter was a woman. Two side pigtails framed her face as she looked upon the sight of the woman and the two cats. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with both intelligence and mirth at the two cats. Then she actually looked up at Velma, regarding the woman in her shop.

"Usually Spike and Illyria are more cautious with approaching a new customer. But then again, your not here for some insignificant potion or palm reading... Though if you wanted one as well, I'm not one to complain. Your Thread of Fate isn't leading here for such a simple reason. You must be the one I've seen coming in the cards. You must be Velma Dinkley. I've been waiting for you."

Continuing to pet the cats, Velma looked over to the lady by the counter. Many times Velma had seen fake conjurers and mystics that claimed to have magical powers to 'see' things. But her eyes were able to see things too.

"Good speech, but I would be more inclined to believe if there wasn't a few things." Standing up, she turned to address the woman behind the counter. With the loss of attention, the cats seemed to wander off as the two ladies squared off. Holding up her finger, Velma pointed to the ceiling.

"One, I emailed the person who works in this store that I was arriving today. So I would think I was expected." Holding up a second finger, she added it to the first. "... Two, I think I've been on Tv and in the newspapers that I might be familiar to most people. Which leads me to my third point..." Which Velma added the final finger to the other two she was holding up. "... I noticed the newspapers on the counter where you are leaning. It's a bit hard to miss a picture of me and the gang. Orange, Green, Brown, Purple and White rarely are printed in that close proximity without being either a weird coincidence or a picture of me and everyone else."

The woman looked over to where Velma had been talking about. Sitting right next to her on the counter was the articals she had been reading up on earlier, and she had forgotten them. Laughing, the woman placed a hand on her face in slight embarrassment.

"And here I was hoping to look 'All Knowing'. So much for being mystical. I should have been expecting that from you, being a detective and all. So I figure it's useless making some fancy introduction." Holding up a hand, the worker shrugged at Velma. Though she seemed less upset and more amused at how it was all turning out.

"Well, if you had something all set up before hand..." Velma mentioned to the woman. Just because she had seen through her magical introduction, didn't negate the fact of why she was here. She just figured it was a front for the locals and usual shop goers. Velma might be a special case, but she was not trying to be rude. "I wouldn't want to ruin a good monologue."

The woman snorted from behind the counter, almost slipping off. She had to quickly catch herself before she fell off. Snickering, she was getting to liked her new customer.

"That makes me feel like some cheesy villain. All I need is a cape, hat and a mustache. I think I'll save my 'monologue' for another time. But yes, I'm the one you're looking for. Madam Shar-leen! Mistress of Knowing and sometimes they called me a bit Wicked." She said with a smile, not able to help embellishing it a little bit. "But You can just call me Sharleen. Let me close the shop and we can talk."

Moving around the counter, Sharleen plucked one of the cats from the floor and gave him a pet. Velma watched as the other woman locked up the store, flipped her signs and tuned off the lights in the front window.

"Oh, I need to get something. Illyria, the white cat will show you to the back room. Won't you Illyria?" Sharleen said to the little white cat that had jumped up on the counter by the register, and was conveniently sitting on the picture of the gang. The cat bathed a bit before looking up and eyed Velma. The young detective stared back at the cat, not giving her the satisfaction of blinking first. Bathing a few more times, breaking eye contact, the cat meant to look away first before standing. Shooting a look back to Velma as if she was telling her to follow, she jumped down and trotted off down one of the cluttered aisles. Velma might have been more hesitant to follow a small feline had it not been her long standing with Scooby. Cats were smarter then they seemed, they just only listened and obeyed if it was convenient to them.

Clutching the box in her one hand, Velma followed after Illyria to the back room. Unlike the rest of the themed shop, the back room was void of anything really magical looking. Well, sure there was a shrunken head hanging over the coffee machine and a small cauldron in the corner, but overall it was just a simple break room. Illyria was sitting on a table that adorned the middle of the room, going back to the bathing that had gotten interrupted. There was several mismatched chairs that sat around it, Velma just picked one and sat herself down in it.

Her mind was running away with her again, bringing up mass doubts and logical reasons for not being here. But she had come too far now to turn back. Placing the box in front of her, she was growing nervous about what was in the box. Talking to someone over emails and text is not the same as showing someone a book that supposedly belonged to a evil witch that sucked in her Ben... Her. Ben.

Shaking her head, she was able to clear it before she heard Sharleen coming behind her. Steeling herself, she was going to have to talk about this. This is why she was here, why she had found this shop in the first place. Sharleen should be able to help her.

Turning around, Velma watched Sharleen entered the back room where she sat awaiting her. Since she was not hiding behind the counter, Velma took a longer look at what the other woman looked like. Contray to most people who works in these kinds of shops, she was younger. Probably around her late twenties, the blond woman was taller then Velma, though that wasn't too hard. She held herself proudly, though she wasn't wearing anything fancy. Jeans and a t-shirt seemed to be casual wear, though for the situation the woman had added a long, thick cloak. It looked Satin, with a dark maroon color that seemed to compliment Sharleen. It helped a bit to make her look a bit more magical then most of the rest of her outfit, but Velma was more interested in results then flash. Usually the more flashy, the faker it is. So just a cloak isn't much difference from before.

Walking around the table to be at the other side, Sharleen eyed both Velma and then the box. It was almost like she could see the book itself as her eyes fell upon it, growing wide. Shaking her head a tiny bit, Sharleen composed herself.

"That... That's the book. Isn't it? The final Book of Ben Ravencroft." 


	4. Letting Go

"So... Let me see it."

Madam Shar-leen made a gesture to the box that had been tucked protectively under Velma's arm. The woman even pointed to the box in question, just in case Velma was being forgetful. Moments ticked by as Velma looked down at the box.

It was a simple shoe box, surprisingly one of her own. (She never liked to throw away something useful.) Several mundane lengths of twine had been tied together to make up the protective wrapping, to keep the lid on tight and not reveal the insides. As old and banged up the box was, it was doing a important role of keeping things hidden. Not only of the book itself, but her true feelings as well.

It had been only in the privacy of her own room, with doors locked, that she had ever even taken the box out of it's hiding spot. The gang respected her privacy enough, and she had so much clutter that a single shoe box among all the rest of her boxes she kept, would easily be over looked. But the box was holding more then it's contents. When Velma let herself even get near the box, it's essence reminded her of what she once had and what she once lost.

For Velma, loving someone dear isn't an easy thing for her to accomplish. Sure, she loved her family and friends, but that is not the same thing when it comes to loving one person in particular. She never considered herself a normal kid growing up, but that never meant she didn't have crushes or fell for someone. But the problem was always, who she really was.

Velma was bright enough to see beyond the false lies some girls would go through to try to get the boy they were attracted too. By changing their looks, their personality's, to suit the person they were after. Like changing clothes when the mood fit, the girls would chase one after another, leaving behind who they really were in exchange to please someone else. It was then she saw how nice her family was. They weren't anyone special, but they were honest to each other to a fault, at times. Truth was important, and it was only re-enforced with the mysteries she was solving. Truth was what will always come out in the end, and no matter how someone might try to hide who they really are, it's all going to be shown in the end. Just like all the people her and the gang have caught over the years. So Velma had vowed to never change herself in the hopes of attracting someone. She would just be herself and find someone who would love her for being, just her.

Ben had sought her out, for the fact, that she was herself. He, needed her... And she had finally fallen hard for someone. Sure, she had a few people, some who she preferred not to think to hard about, but this was the first guy who actually seemed that he cared about her personality. Who she really was. The only problem was the fact that he was using her for his own desires. Sure, he did in fact want her for her, but it was also for himself. But her dreams have been haunting her, telling her that he was better and that he still needed her. Only her. It was the whole reason she was here.

"Hello... Anyone home?"

As Velma had dazed off within herself, Shar-leen and the cats were left to stare at her. It took some hand waving in front of her eyes to get Velma out of it.

"Are you ok?" The woman asked concerned. Velma snapped out of it and realized what she was doing in front of the other lady.

"Sorry I..." Velma started but Shar-leen held up a hand.

"You started to talk about this in the email, but apologized then too. It seems there was more to it then you talked about. You probably have a good reason why you could not tell me then, but I am going to need to know now so I can help you. You are going to have to trust me..."

Velma had trusted her enough. No matter what research she had done, the woman calling herself 'Madam Shar-leen' had a spotless record. And beyond having a avid enthusiasm for Magic and things related of the sort, she had a few degrees under her belt, and high ratings from her peers. And as strange as the things she had finally admitted to Shar-leen, the woman had not once thought less of her or said she was crazy. It was her interest that invited Velma here this day to talk about their next step. So Velma was going to have to open the box, and let the truth out.

Taking a deep breath in and out, Velma moved to undo the cords that held the box lid upon the top. With the lid free, Velma placed it aside and looked inside. Like before, even with a bit of new air made the book leak the smell of the fire. Forever stained upon the books pages, as parts of the book had been in fact, burned off and lost forever.

"It was a usual mystery, though later we found out it had all been set up by Ben, himself. But at the time, it seemed like it was just the right place at the right time. And I met the man I had..." As she talked about him, her emotions welled up in her throat and made it hard to talk. But she had to tell the story, so she grit her teeth and continued.

"I admired him. I loved his books and here, he had been standing right in front of me. And of all things, he was asking me for help and inviting me to where he grew up. As a fan, this was beyond a dream come true. I read and re-read his books over and over again, getting ready for the long drive. He must have been sick of me, but he listened the whole time as we traveled to his home town. But what awaited both of us had not been planned."

She had fell in love with the little town as soon as she had saw it. It was such a quaint little place, and even though it had been bustling with tourists, it still was appealing to her. Especially since he, lived there.

"... Using Sarah Ravencroft's name, the towns people took profit in making the ghost story become real. Ben was convincing, as he loudly and strongly defended the honor of his wiccan ancestor. Maybe in another life, he should have been an actor with his performance, since I was fooled. But then again, I wasn't seeing things too clearly, or maybe I would have seen the signs. Though even with as many mysteries under their belts, the gang didn't see it either... That, or they didn't want to see it in hopes that something might actually... work out for me."

She hated herself sometimes. Especially now as she was looking back and thinking how much the gang had been there beside her, yet didn't help prevent her from getting hurt. Part of her felt that they were blinded by her own greed, for want of someone special. Just for herself. Maybe... Maybe if it hadn't been him, but some other horror author that she never heard about, she would have seen through his lies. But it was Ben... Ben Ravencroft.

Shaking her head, she continued her tale. She thanked Shar-leen as she made her some coffee and placed the cup by her as she continued to listen, waiting till the end before she said anything. Taking the whole story in as it was being told.

"... Either way, the mystery of the Ghost of Sarah Ravencroft came to a close from clues that we had all found. The whole town was behind it... But in the process of looking for clues about the fake, we found the one tree Ben had been overlooking all these years. It must have been chopped down ages ago, but the tree she was said to have 'performed her miracles' under, had been a stump for centuries. With quick work from Scooby, who had found the books buckle, Ben got his hands on the journal of Sarah Ravencroft. But it was in fact, a spell book."

Sighing, Velma took a deep gulp from the coffee, almost like it was a shot of something harder. She was having to steel herself for what had to be said, and what he had become.

"Funny thing with power, it makes you forget all the little details. While Ben was enjoying his new powers, I was powerless to do anything but watch. I tried to call out, but it was no use. And it eventually lead to the releasing of the Ancient Witch. Sara didn't share Ben's dreams for governing the world, in fact she wanted to just out rightly destroy all of humanity till there was nothing left. Although Ben had yearned for power, he wanted people below him to experience it. Wit all that he done to us, he didn't do anything as bad as what Sara was planning on doing. Thankfully, we were able to obtain the spell book, and a one of wiccan blood to seal Sarah up once again. But this time she didn't go quietly, and grabbed Ben on her way. Dragging him off to the depths of some prison contained in that book."

Nodding to the book in front of her, the dream of the prison echo'ed in her head. It was dark, misty and lonely. It felt barren of most life, which made Ben feel out of place. He had done some bad things, but was that really the fate he should be given? That is why Velma had traveled so far.

"Unfortunately a branch of fire, that Sarah had set ablaze herself, crashed down upon the book. I do not think that any of the gang noticed when I slipped out from the party celebrations to find it. Originally, I had intended on making sure it was gone for good, but I never could get myself to do it. And with the dreams, I really couldn't. That book, is what you see before you."

Shar-leen and the cats waited patiently until Velma was done. Well, more like Shar-leen waited while the one cat bathed and the other sat occupying Shar-leens lap, seeking attention. It was quite a story, but there was a few things that had labeled this story to much to be a lie. In the archives of those who favored magic, tales of Sara's cruelty had been recorded along with the date of her capture. Shar-leen had done much researching after Velma had contacted her and found alot on the Ravencroft ancestor. One just had to have the right channels. Also, to support her was the missing author, who seemed to have vanished off the face of the planet about the time when Velma had said the whole thing had happened. No one in the town, nor the gang had told anything to the news people, only that the mystery of Sarah Ravencroft had been discovered and solved. The final thing was Velma's credibility. There was to many things that pointed to how stable and normally collected she was. Many solved mysteries under her belt, as well as countless inventions, patients, and scientific theories that she had written papers on that made even NASA call upon her skills from time to time. No matter how far fetched the story seemed, she was not the kind of person who would make something like that up.

"May I?" Shar-leen said in a gentle voice. Offering her hand to wait till Velma was comfortable enough to let go the book enough for her to look at it. There was more then just a mystery here, but emotions put on the line and a certain care had to be taken when dealing with such. Shar-leen felt bad for the woman, who seemed to be so emotionally involved with it all. She herself being a big fan of Ben herself, she probably would have been in a similar situation if someone she admired to a high degree asked for her help.

Velma was indeed attached to the book, maybe a bit to much. But she needed to let go of it. She needed to find the truth. And if Shar-leen could help, it was worth letting up and seek assistance. Even though it drove her mad that she could not solve it herself, she learned a long time ago with the help of the gang, that not all the time can you do things all by yourself. Picking up the scorched book, she placed it in her extended hand, and finally let go for the first time. 


	5. Into the Prison

Shar-leen took the book gently, making sure to cradle it as she brought it close to herself. She understood that not only was the book damaged and should be treated with care, it was important to the woman before her. The fresh smell of fire seemed stained upon the books pages. Like it had only freshly pulled from the fire, not been out for countless days. But magical books were mysterious things.

"It's quite a story, but I believe you. I have found things about Sarah and her capture on record." Shar-leen put up a hand as Velma was about to speak. "These are not books normal people could get their hands on. We try not to let normal people, so to speak, to know of the failures and successes of magic."

She didn't want to seem insulting to the young detective, but some groups worked in different ways and out of the eyes of the common man. Now adays, it was impossible to be taken seriously if you claimed to work magic, only the freaks and insane claimed to do magic, in public. With good reason, since there were many fakes among the real, and you would never guess if you met one upon the street in passing.

Sure, Shar-leen ran a magic shop, but only the desperate, foolish or the innocent stepped into her shop expecting the flash of magic. Velma had sought out the truth, and the truth had been beyond her so she sought out a way to find out. That was why she was here.

"I'm not going to claim that I can wave my hand and make Ben come back. It's more complicated then that, and I figure you know that already. It seems that back when Sarah was sealed, a prison was created to house her, in her own book. But Ben was not totally lying. It has been written that Sarah was once a great Wiccan woman, healing the sick and taking care of the poor. But something happened, and she disturbed the balance of nature. The Wiccans believe in the balance between the two main gods, and Sarah broke that. Within her own book, they cursed her threefold to experience what she wanted to make for mankind. A barren wasteland."

Velma listened, and heard the history of Sarah. A Wiccan turned evil, but not knowing what could have changed her. It felt familiar, since Ben seemed to have changed all of a sudden as well. There might have been more too it, but there was no way for Velma to have known.

"As for how to get Ben out, that is going to be hard. From everything I have read, there is only known to be one way to release anyone from that prison. But, that would mean that Sarah would be released as well. Though, there might be a way to let someone enter and bring him out. The prison is like a sealed bottle, there might be a way we can in fact, make a hole in the side and let someone go in and find him. I figure you wouldn't be here if you were not willing to try. I'm a fan, but I'm not exactly willing to jump into a prison to pull out Ben, no matter how good his books are."

Shar-leen was not sure this was the best idea. Especially that Velma wasn't magic touched like she was.

"I can create the doorway... But do you really want to go in? I'm not sure what would lay beyond the door and even if you got there ok, if you would be able to find Ben and find your way back."

Velma was giving a decision. To go and not know what would happen, or forever be haunted by the calls from Ben. She had long ago decided that she would meet him face to face to judge for herself if he would be worth saving. But that would then mean that she would have to step though a gateway to where Sarah might be as well. Was Ben worth that risk? Was her life worth putting on the line to find out? And why was she getting curious what would lay beyond the door?

"I have set out already. I don't plan to back down now."

Velma said with a nod, sealing her thoughts and backing them up with her own will. She would do it. Shar-leen smiled, and shook her head. It had been a long time ago since she had seen someone so determined for such a noble cause. Desire for Love. Even though Shar-leen doubted the woman would ever admit it aloud.

"It will be done. Give me a moment and I'll set it up for you in the other room. I promise that the book will be taken care of, but I need to take it in order to set everything up. One moment."

Fingering the book, Shar-leen picked it off the table when she had momentarily placed it and tucked it under one arm, gently. Leaving the cats with Velma, she disappeared behind another door, that seemed to go further into the shop. From the outside, the little magical shop didn't seem all that big. But beyond the back break room, seemed to be yet another door that extended who knows how far. As curious as she was, she figured if that is where Shar-leen went, she might be going there as soon as the doorway was ready... Now if only she could calm down her heart to make herself ready for what would be happening. Saying it aloud was one thing, but actually doing it was another. Against all the experience she had with mysteries, her heart was still racing.

---------------------

"It's ready."

Minutes felt like hours, to the waiting Velma. She was not sure what to expect, so her mind was running away with various thoughts. Not exactly familiar with too many magical things, her expectations were far ranging. From the simple, to the bizarre. The last thing she expected was just a simple door set in a door frame. Sure, the book seemed fixed on the front like some demented door knocker, but other then that it looked like some door Shar-leen might have bought at the local hardware store. The walk down the spiral staircase behind the break room, was more fantastic looking then the door in front of her. But then again, the stairs leading down seemed to have overstock from the magical shop, which would account for their random placing. Still, looked more impressive.

"I know it doesn't look like much, but it should work. I've situated the book on the front and spent some time dialing into the prison contained inside. It took longer then I wanted, but it's done. I'll explain a few things before I send you in there empty handed."

Adjusting the cloak she was wearing, she walked over to Velma and got down to explain what was going to happen. Taking a deep breath, she let the shorter woman in to what lay beyond.

"I took a quick peak inside and frankly I wouldn't want to go in there. Dreary looking place, with all of that mist and all."

Velma was shocked. She never told Shar-leen about the Mist. Her dreams were always in this misty realm and it was where Ben had appeared to her. She didn't know if she should have told Shar-leen about it before, but now it seems un-important. She had already seen it for herself.

Leading Velma by the shoulder, Shar-leen sat her down on a chair she had prepared for her and then sat in another one beside it. She was going to have to run over a few things before she felt confident enough to send her off into that place. But the determined look on Velma's face pushed away any thoughts of talking her out of it.

"Now, since you have no magic, it's going to be a bit harder for you. But, you have one power that should work in there. Will power."

"Will power?" Velma asked, confused at how that would help her.

"Yes. Belief is a powerful thing. But what it really boils down to is Will Power. If you believe that you will get better, most people do get better from what ever illness they have. From colds to cancer, Will Power is a powerful magic. And the fire in your eyes makes me feel a bit better about sending you to such a terrible place. Though I don't think it's a good idea, we are probably beyond the point of turning back."

Velma nodded. Taking in what Shar-leen told her, she was ready for what ever she was stepping into. There was no turning back.

"What ever might come, I'm ready to go in there and see for myself." She spoke, her tone even and determined. Shar-leen smiled, but was worried about what was to come. And how things would turn out.

"Pity you are too smart for your own good... You would have made a great sorceress. You have the attitude and intelligence, but if we could only make a believer out of you."

What seemed to be an insult at first, was in fact a compliment. Shar-leen has spoken it from a hung head, playing with her mug of coffee she had brought down from the break room. She looked up to finally met Velma's eyes. She had grown to enjoy her company with the little time she had spent with her. Though they had talked about serious things, Velma's personality had grown on her, and it seemed her cats. As one curled about her legs purring and the other sat indifferently under her chair she was sitting. It was hard for her to not like someone her cats did. If they hadn't, they wouldn't have even come down the stairs to watch. Looking at her wrist watch, Shar-leen sighed.

"It's time."

Standing up, she led Velma to the doorway. Drawn about the door was a simple circle, with one line leading to another one. It was in the smaller circle Shar-leen took up a crossed leg position. She looked up and spoke to Velma before she opened the door.

"Now remember. Inside will be a Prison made for Sarah. I don't know what else might be roaming in there, but your only defense is your own Will Power. Believe that she can not hurt you, and you will be fine. All of you is going in there, so make sure all of you comes back out. I'll stay connected to the door so that you'll be able to come back here once you find him. Other then that, you are on your own. Come back in one piece, Velma. Good luck."

Shooting a thumbs up, Shar-leen could do no more then to wait. The door was ready and all she had to do was open and step inside.

Swallowing, Velma reached for the door and opened it. It was like opening a door to a house during a cold day, blasting her with a burst of cold air that felt chilling. Gripping the door frame, she faced the mist that flooded her vision as far as she could see. Blinking, she fought back the urge to look around the door frame to see if this was a trick of the light or something. It was time, and she didn't have to much time to waste. Taking a deep breath in, she took the first step, into the prison of Sarah Ravencroft. 


	6. World of Mist

As Velma took the first step, she felt like she was being plunged into the world of Mist. It rushed by her and wrapped around her like a thick and heavy blanket, weighing her down with it's oppressing feeling. The air felt heavy, as if it more then just the fog, but her hands passed through it with no resistance. As if it wasn't there.

All around her felt muted, colors faded against the cover of gray that floated on the winds. Even the sky had a hue of gray, making it feel match the rest of the world inside the book. Velma shivered, feeling cold and a bit off balance with how much a change she experienced with one step.

Looking backwards, she could still see where Shar-leen and the cats were watching beyond the door. But even though it was a step away, it felt even further as the mist clung around her, drawing her in. But it was to late to step back, to late to turn away. So instead she took her back foot and brought herself fully into the prison.

With a squeal, the door gently closed behind her as she was fully there. Velma turned and tried the door, relief flooding her as she could easily turn the handle. With the idea of her being locked away behind her, she was able to focus herself on the path in front of her.

She walked a while before she really noticed what was around her. Barren tree branches poked out of the mist and gave her some bearings. She was able to find a tree line, and using it to follow it further into the Prison. Oddly, it felt familiar. She knew that she had been here many times with Ben, but usually it was only in one spot where she would appear before he came to talk to her, and then left. Pausing, she recalled back of all those times he talked to her, but this time tried to recall anything else that might have been poking from the haze. Though it took a bit of trouble to recall, she was able to make out what looked to be the top of some wooden building.

She continued on her way into the murky area, pondering just how large the prison could in fact be and just how she would be able to find Ben. It seemed larger then it seemed in her dreams, but it was impossible to tell with all the of the mist. But then the tree line ended, leaving Velma stumbling without any guidance to lead her. She wasn't sure which direction she was heading, besides away from the trees and the door. Pausing, she thought of something and headed back the way she came. She thanked her sense of direction and found the trees easily. She traced them all the way back and felt relief when she was able to find the oddly out of place door.

Searching the ground, she was able to find a decent sized rock, which she then used to mark the trees she was yet again passing. If she was going to have to come back, she wanted to know where the door was. Especially if it was going to be in a hurry, just in case. She had to thank her dad and all of his old Scout books he had kept from his youth.

When the tree line ended, she didn't have any more trees to mark. So she got another idea. Searching the area about the bottom of the trees, it didn't take long for her to find a rather long and stout branch. Using the rock she still had in her hand, she hammered off the extra side branches till it was light enough to use. Tucking the rock in the hem of her sweater, she leaned heavily on the branch and dragged it beside her. The mud under her shoes were forgiving, with all the moisture in the air and easily let the stick sink in. She then dragged it, leaving at least an inch or so deep groove to use as another form of marking. It was slow process, and she wasn't sure if it would last in the magical prison, but she didn't have to many other ideas. And if might just work, so she continued to drag the stick.

It was hard to track the minutes in a world coated in fog. She didn't carry a watch on her, but she figured time probably didn't function normally anyway, so it would have done her little good to know. Except maybe, to further frustrate her.

She would have felt like she was floating had the ground not been under her to give her some stable direction. It was a relief that down was always down in this damp prison. She was getting to know why Ben was so adamant about getting out, she would go crazy in such a world as well.

"Ben..." She said as softly as a sigh. She wanted to just call it out, but did not forget who the prison was originally made for. Velma really didn't need Sara to hear her calling out. She just hoped that she wouldn't find her before she found Ben.

Will Power. Came the echo'ing words recalling what Shar-leen had told her. Her only power in this place was her own Will Power, and she was plenty stubborn and willful to be able to use this to her own advantage. Just how, Velma really didn't know.

"Will power, or the power of Will. The wish or purpose as carried out, or to be carried out: to work one's will. A wish or Desire. Purpose or determination, often hearty or stubborn determination; willfulness: to have the will to succeed."

Velma mumbled the definition to herself, calming herself down from her edgy composure. The whole place was getting to her and she needed to take a deep breath and stabilize her mentality. Gripping the stick strongly, she looked at it and the trail she was leaving behind.

"Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way."

If this was a world of Will, then she just needed to concentrate and bring Him to her. The mind was a powerful thing, and for her it was her best weapon. Maybe there was some merit in what Shar-leen had said. Maybe she would be a good Sorceress, if she believed in that kind of thing. But she had other things she had to focus on.

"Ben."

She whispered again, but this time she concentrated on how he looked. She tried to picture him in front of her. How nice he looked with his brown suit she saw him wear. Even though he wore it open and over a simple black T-shirt, it still looked like he was dressed up. How the wind had blown though his hair, and how well groomed his goatee was. She had to bit her lip as she recalled what he looked like without his glasses, as he was going over the deep end, so instead she focused on when he looked in her eyes with his own through those black frames. How his hands felt as they touched her shoulder.

"... He touched me."

Normally, touching someone on the shoulder wasn't much to talk about. But there was something with Velma that made it mean alot more to her then she realized. Sure, the gang and her were close that brushing shoulders and even holding them was normal, but it hadn't always been that way. She got used to them, but for people other then close friends and family it was weird to feel someone's touch. Even if it was just a shoulder.

She was the odd one out most of the time at school. Popular, but only for her brains. Most of the guys were afraid of getting close to her, they either thought she was not interest or might get nerd coodies. By the time the boys outgrew the two mentalities, Velma had already gotten used to no one really getting close other then the rest of the gang. Even her family wasn't the kind that hugged alot or showed physical love. So she just wasn't use to it, and he didn't even bat an eye when he did it with her. He didn't mind getting close to her. Another reason she felt... Close to him.

They even swapped glasses once, when they ran into each other during the mystery and both had to fumble for their glasses. His hands were so gentle, as they touched.

Breaking her out of her thoughts, she felt a set of hands drape over her shoulders, leaning their weight against her. She stiffened as the unknown presence did nothing but hang on her. She could hear soft panting in her ear, a light breath coming from behind and fogging up the edge of her glasses. She started to turn to look at who or what was on her when she heard a soft and shaking voice from behind.

"Velma... You came for me..."

"Ben!"

Twisting around, she had to quickly bring up her hands to catch him as the energy left his legs and he fell into her arms. With one arm still draped over her shoulder, he let her hold him up as he caught his breath. Her heart skipped a beat as she held him. She didn't exactly expect for him to just show up, but there he was, right in her arms.

He was dressed just like she remembered him, but he looked worse for the wear. His nice brown coat was torn in many places. Both his pants and his black shirt had seen better days, as mud and possible blood from cuts, that adorned both articles of clothing. It was too dark to see beyond the material at his legs and chest, but for all she knew it was just from running through the trees, cutting himself on branches.

"I knew you would come..." He tried to right himself but still had his weight upon her. He didn't trust his legs enough to stand on his own. It was hard to picture such the noble man she had admired before was now a shaking mass. But then again he had been running from Sara a long time, endless nights of the haunting laughter of his ancestor chasing him across the misty prison.

"I don't know how you got here, but we have to run.... Now..."

Like a cat chasing a mouse, Sara seemed to be chasing Ben. No matter where he went, she was following him. She had been in this prison far longer, and she was not going to let her only plaything escape from her unless she wanted him too. Her menacing laughter echoed in the mist from where Ben had come from.

"This way!"

With fear in his voice, Ben waved his arm in front of them. Pointing in the direction he wanted her to go. No stranger to being chased, Velma was used to this kind of situation and knew what to do. Scooping Ben to a easier position to run, she surprised him as she carried them both in the direction he pointed. Her Mary Jane's sunk into the mud a bit, but did little to slow her down. The ground disappeared under her as they traveled by Ben's directions to what seemed to be a familiar lodging. The wooden barn Shaggy and Scooby had crashed through back in Oakhaven when they had been trying to solve the fake case of the Ghost of Sara Ravencroft.

"Are we?"

"Yes, we are in Oakhaven, or at least a copy of it. But this prison doesn't have a way out of it. I've tried everything, but the only thing I could think of was you. I figured that you would be able to get me out of here. And I was right."

He was laughing, as tears of relief poured down his face. After all those nights, his work had finally paid off and she was here. His savior. No matter what he couldn't do, she would be able to do what he could not. She had managed to get herself into the prison he wasn't able to escape from. And he bet she had a plan for getting out. He clung to her arm as she stopped by the side of the barn before entering inside.

Velma wasn't sure what to think. Part of her wanted to give him a hug since he was crying, but actually seeing him was hard to forget all the cruel things he had done to her, or had planned to do to the world. But here he was, weeping in her arms in the shadows of the old barn.

"My my my, looks like my little mouse has brought a friend into this miserable prison. Now I have two toys to play with. So I guess I won't mind if I break one a bit, now that it has a playmate."

Floating into the top of the barn by the loft, a very sinister looking Sara Ravencroft. She looked the same as they last saw her, but this time her face was contorted with the strange look of joy upon her face. She, for the first time in a while, was going to enjoy herself. Bringing up a hand, her clawed fingers seemed to be wrapping itself around something. Like she was holding a ball, the air in her had wavered. Snapping her fingers out wider, the shadows of the barn were snapped back like a rubber band, as a ball of fire burst into being in her hand. Her laugh felt like nails on a chalk board, running a cold shiver down Velma's spine. With a snap of her wrist, Sara sent the ball of fire towards the two of them. But before Velma could react, Ben had jumped out of her arms and in the way of the ball of fire, to protect her.

"Velma!"

"BEN!" 


End file.
